Like An Unwanted Hug

Remember that feeling I told you about that I get when it’s time to do my laundry?

When you ask me AGAIN to do that thing you asked me to do that I’m totally aware I have to do I just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet, that’s how I feel.

I’m suddenly a seven year old who wants to do anything else in the entire world. If I had been considering starting that thing you had asked me to do? I suddenly lost all desire to do it at all. In fact, now I’m going to put off doing it even longer, just out of spite.

I realize this is immature and childish. I don’t know what causes it, but I become physically annoyed when I am being constantly reminded to do something I know I have to do. It’s like you just put itching powder in my blood stream and it burns and is extremely uncomfortable.

This is mostly the case with things that I not only know I have to do, but that I generally don’t want to do. The people who do this to me most often – the constant badgering of “Did you do this yet?” – are my parents. Which makes sense. This also explains the sudden quantum leap to pre-pubescence and the overwhelming urge to throw a tantrum. Fortunately, as I now live in a different state than them, I can now interject with “Gotta jump on the subway, talktoyoulaterBYE!” and avoid the subject all-together. Or delete the email and pretend I never saw it.

You would think they would have learned by now. I’ll get to it eventually, I will. But the more you poke and prod me about it, the more I squirm away and avoid it altogether.

Kind of like an unwanted hug.

I’ve also learned that it’s all in the way you ask me. There are ways that you can find out if I have or have not started this thing you want me to do that won’t make me want to go all spineless and flail-y. Some people will usually figure this out fairly quickly. The first time they ask me to do something that I haven’t gotten to yet and they see my eyes glaze over and my jaw clench and hear the Devil Himself in my voice when I say “Not yet”, they get the hint. The next time they are curious about something, they find a way to ask me that doesn’t sound like they’re accusing me of being a lazy, good-for-nothing slacker.

Since I’m not.

I promise.

I just procrastinate sometimes. And when you give a procrastinator a task that has no set finish time? You’re bound to run into some problems.

So let this be a warning for you. If you want me to do something, remember that it’s best to give me a time frame and it would be wise to avoid over-reminding me about it. Because that will be counter-productive on your part.

I know, I’ve tried to tell him but it just doesn’t work…maybe hearing it from a different source will! And sorry for always hijacking your comments. I hope you don’t mind, I just love everything you say!

“So let this be a warning for you. If you want me to do something, remember that it’s best to give me a time frame and it would be wise to avoid over-reminding me about it. Because that will be counter-productive on your part.”

I love that so very much.

I’m good about getting things done. But I recognize that feeling of which you speak. If I hear judgment in someone’s question about whether I have gotten a task accomplished? I mentally bump that task to the bottom of my priority list.